June 19 (Reuters) - Futures tracking Canada's main stock
index fell on Friday, as U.S.-Iran negotiations aimed at ending
the Middle East conflict were called off, fueling fresh
uncertainty at the end of a choppy week.
Futures on the S&P/TSX index fell 0.35% to 2,046.8
at ET 07:26 a.m. ET.
* Brent crude prices were flat at near $80 per
barrel, after Switzerland said U.S. talks with Iranian
negotiators would not take place on Friday, as Vice President JD
Vance dropped his travel plans.
* Expectations of a peace deal and a gradual reopening of
the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy supplies,
supported global risk appetite this week.
* Gold prices fell more than 1%, putting the yellow metal on
track for a third straight weekly decline, pressured by a firmer
U.S. dollar and a hawkish Federal Reserve.
* Commodity prices tend to impact Canadian stocks due to the
presence of large energy and mining companies in the index.
* The main TSX index touched a series of record
highs this week before retreating in the past two sessions.
Friday's early declines threaten to wipe out the TSX's slim
weekly gains.
* Investors will keep a close eye on Canada's April retail
sales data, set to be published at 8:30 a.m. ET.
* The Bank of Canada last week left its key interest rate
unchanged as expected and said it was seeing limited evidence
that higher energy prices were fueling broad-based inflation.
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